US Church Attacker Sentenced to Death

A white supremacist has been sentenced to death for the racially motivated killings of nine black people at a South Carolina church.

Dylann Roof was convicted last month of 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, after opening fire on a Bible study group in 2015.

He remained unrepentant and had told the jury: "I felt like I had to do it and I still feel like I had to do it."

The jurors deliberated for nearly three hours before reaching their verdict.

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As Catholics, we wholeheartedly believe in the dignity of every human life. 'No matter how heinous the crime, if society can protect itself without ending a human life, it should do so.' We pray for the soul of Dylann Roof.

"The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life: who will proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life in every situation. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. . . . I renew the appeal I made . . . for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary."
—Pope John Paul II Papal Mass, St. Louis, Missouri, January 27, 1999